But I was left wondering where this device would “fit” in my life. It’s not a replacement for my phone. It doesn’t replace my laptop which I use for typical office work: Excel, Word, Photoshop, etc. And I can’t use public transportation (train or subway) to commute to work so I don’t have time to kill to play games, read magazines or books. So what is this thing?

Then it hit me: I could really enjoy an iPad in my kitchen. I never realized how much time our family spends in the kitchen. Like it our not, it’s the one room in my house where I “pivot” off throughout the day. I don’t particularly enjoy my kitchen — it’s a functional place where I HAVE to be doing food prep and clean-up, day-after-day. Rinse and repeat, literally. And while I’d enjoy some light entertainment in the kitchen, I’m not risking water/crumb damage to my laptop; plus, you have to tap keys and finger the trackpad which are no-no’s with dishpan hands. It’s just not right.

BUT, an iPad is different. It’s small and wouldn’t take up much countertop space. It doesn’t use keys and can be operated with a simple touch or swipe. I could listen to music, catch-up on Podcasts, passively watch some videos and the flip over to read Facebook posts or Twitter feeds. I’d use the iPad as a catch-as-catch-may entertainment device for quick snippets of content in between kitchen chores.

The iPad calendar system would also be a handy family organizer to keep track of after school activities, lessons, meetings, appointments, etc. A daily pop-up reminder would nice.

I’d love an app that offered video cooking lessons and recipes, especially for niches like “gluten free” recipes. Having it compile shopping lists for me based on the necessary ingredients would be sweet.

Face it, it’d be fun to work on an iPad crossword/Sudoku puzzle for a few minutes while you’re waiting for pizza to cook. Plus you could easily skim the day’s news and check school closings due to weather all while brewing your coffee. And, of course, while the kids eat their cereal, I could get a jump on the day’s email without leaving the room.

Now don’t get me wrong. I know all these things can be done on other devices including plain ol’ newspaper radio and TV, but it’s the all-in-one, instant availability and ease-of-use that’s enticing. And no, I don’t need a computer in every room of my house. But you must admit, the kitchen is a “work room” for most families. So if there’s a way to make it more productive and enjoyable, I’ll definitely consider it.

What do you think?

The basic premise is that additional data (such as layered on visuals and sound) can be geographically triggered to give you a better, more useful experience. Think about a fighter pilot flying in the dark through a cloud. He literally can’t see anything, but can fly perfectly fine as the plane’s computer system visually superimposes data onto his helmet visor. While he’s in an actual jet flying thru the air, he might as well be playing a video game as he responds to the location-specific, computer generated data he’s using to fly.

Bringing this technology down to earth, practical and entertaining applications can now run on everyday mobile devices. The below video introduces augmented reality to help visitors in New York City. Basically, the application detects where you are standing in the city and offers arrows to the nearby subway stations:

In the splashiest use of augmented reality by a magazine publisher, Esquire magazine’s Best & Brightest of 2009 issue offered a half-dozen AR features. After you visit the Esquire web site and download their software, you simply hold the magazine up to your webcam which reads special symbols printed in the magazine. Fancy audio/video is triggered to then play on your computer. Seeing this system really gets the creative juices flowing. You have to see it to understand it, so check out the below video. I really enjoyed the novelty of Esquire’s system, but didn’t like the 70+ MB download it took to play. Non-geek people wouldn’t tolerate that. Perhaps the Esquire AR application software can automatically update itself at night once the next AR-enabled magazine is available. So while the download would remain large, it would essentially happen without hassling the user.

While I’m a big fan of Papa John’s pizza, their augmented reality project is underwhelming. Yes, the technology is cute, but the payoff is weak. A virtual driving game? C’mon — people need more than gimmicks to make their efforts worthwhile. But hey, give Papa John’s credit for giving it a go.

Finally, it wouldn’t be an official new media post without mentioning zombies and Skittles. So check out the following AR gaming video and be prepared to be blown away – literally and metaphorically speaking.

I predict that augmented reality technology will be woven into experiential marketing programs in the very near future. In my next post, I’ll offer a host of ideas on how to make my smartphone even more useful than it is today.

My thoughts? This is definitely a BETA offering so temper your expectations accordingly. It’s a proof-of-concept that will undoubtedly morph quickly. It needs a critical mass of users to take off; you need 2 people with “E” to make a connection, right? I’m sure the fine folks @ E are working furiously to make this service as accessible as possible (ideally pre-packaged) on Blackberries and iPhones alike.

I do like the idea of automating the exchange of social media contact information AS LONG AS I stay in control of who gets shared into which bucket of contacts I have. My Facebook friends are much different than my LinkedIn contacts. And my Twitter peeps are a crazy mix of nuts.

But stay on the watch out. Real-world, on-the-go social networking hook-ups. Coming to a mobile device near you!